HC Deb 25 November 1976 vol 921 cc161-4
Sir Bernard Braine

(by Private Notice) asked the Minister for Overseas Development whether Her Majesty's Government have received any requests for help in connection with the earthquake disaster in Turkey and whether he will make a statement.

The Minister for Overseas Development (Mr. Reg Prentice)

The House will wish me to express our sorrow at this tragic event, which is the second major earthquake in Eastern Turkey in two years, and to extend our deepest sympathy to those who are bereaved, injured and homeless.

My Department's Disaster Unit has been in close touch with the United Nations Disaster Relief Office in Geneva since the news of the earthquake became known yesterday afternoon. The Turkish Government have now appealed through UNDRO for Polar-type tents, blankets and blood plasma, and arrangements are being made by the Disaster Unit to send 5,000 blankets immediately to Turkey as an initial response.

Sir Bernard Braine

The whole House will wish to associate itself with the Minister's expression of sympathy with a people who have suffered grievously, not for the first time, from a natural disaster. Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that there will be general satisfaction that the Government have responded so swiftly to the need? He spoke of an initial response. If further aid is needed, can it be mobilised quickly? Does he envisage any particular difficulty in transportation, particularly air transportation? As the disaster took place in a remote area of Eastern Turkey, I suppose it is unlikely that any British subjects were involved, but is there any information on that score?

Mr. Prentice

The hon. Gentleman rightly said that I referred to an initial response. We shall keep closely in touch with the United Nations Disaster Relief Office in Geneva. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has sent a message to the Turkish Government telling them directly that they can notify us of any particular needs we could meet. Obviously, we shall try to meet those needs if we can and as quickly as we can, as we are informed of them. Turkish airlines are transporting the blankets and I think that they would be available to take any further supplies that we were to send.

We have no information about any British subjects being affected, but as the area is very remote it seems unlikely. There may, of course, be the remote individual, but we are not aware of any.

Mr. Pavitt

Hon. Members on both sides of the House will join in the expression of sympathy. Does my right hon. Friend recall that, under the initiative of the United Kingdom delegation to the Inter-Parliamentary Union a few years ago, the United Nations adopted a plan for stockpiling in order to deal quickly with emergencies such as this earthquake? Is that scheme now fully operative, whereby a computerised demand can be immediately sent to member nations in order to obtain quick supplies? What is given quickly is given doubly.

Mr. Prentice

The United Nations Disaster Relief Office has techniques for very quick transmission of requests. I said in my original reply that in addition to blankets there was a request for Polar-type tents—I understand that that request is being dealt with by the United States—and for blood plasma, for which the World Health Organisation is co-ordinating a response.

Mr. Thorpe

In wishing to be associated with the Minister's expression of sympathy, and welcoming the help which has been given to date, may I ask the right hon. Gentleman a little more about blood plasma? He will no doubt be aware that the Turkish Government have been broadcasting appeals for blood plasma. Are we able to help in this regard? Will the Minister be in touch with the relevant Department and the Red Cross?

Mr. Prentice

We are in constant touch with the United Nations Disaster Relief Office. UNDRO and the World Health Organisation are co-ordinating a response to the request for blood plasma. If appeals are directed to us, we shall of course do what we can as quickly as possible.

The Red Cross is represented on the Disaster Relief Committee in this country, on which all the main voluntary organisations and my Department are represented. That committee has not yet met in relation to this disaster, but it will be available to co-ordinate a voluntary response, together with the Government's response, if necessary.

Mr. Marten

As one who has lived in Turkey and has great admiration for our tough and very gallant allies, particularly in the area of Van Lake where the earthquake took place, may I ask whether there has been any request yet for aid in the form of personnel or specialists which we might be able to meet?

Mr. Prentice

No, Sir. I think that the general assessment that one could make at this early stage is that the Turkish Government have a very efficient relief organisation of their own for disasters—an organisation that is spear-headed by the Turkish armed forces—so that there may not be any requests for personnel. If, however, there are such requests, obviously we shall examine them very quickly indeed.

Mr. John Davies

While echoing the satisfaction expressed already by others on the rapid response of the Government to this dreadful disaster, and realising that there will be a long-drawn-out period of distress in the area, may I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether he has made contact already with the Community institutions concerned with relief, bearing in mind the Community association agreement with Turkey and the possibility that the Community may also be able to contribute to the help of this distressed country?

Mr. Prentice

I shall bear that in mind and look into it. I think that probably the quicker channel of communication at the moment is directly from the United Nations Office in Geneva to individual nation States, but that possible additional means of communication is something that I shall certainly study.